Tamara Cartwright

Tamara Cartwright
Survivor

I became septic 9 months after an artificial femoral graft extension surgery. Fluid had been accumulating around the graft areas on both sides of my groin. My surgeon gave me a couple of options: more surgery, aspiration of the sacs, or just leave them as is because it was just fluid and not a real problem. (Sepsis and Surgery)

Fever and abdominal pain brought me to the ER on Friday morning. They almost sent home until I pointed out the soreness and redness in my groin. On Sunday, two vascular surgeons worked six hours to do a vein harvest on both legs to replace the grafts.

Luckily the infection hadn’t extended upward into my aorotic bypass I had done two years prior. I’m disabled now in more ways then one.

Long time recovering – 18 months now – and things are so much different than before. I was given a few simple leg exercises to do and a month of IV antibiotics. Guess my doctors were unaware of PICS (post-intensive care syndrome) or the support needed.

Send us Your Story
Learn More about SepsisSupport Faces of Sepsis